Patent GB-551025-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to record-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1941-09-24
Abstract: 551,025. Statistical apparatus. BROIDO, D. Sept. 24, 1941, No. 12356. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group XL] A statistical machine controlled by records carrying information represented by marked index areas arranged in denominational groups, comprises a record feeding means, a stationary analysing device adapted to analyse in successive order all denominational groups of index areas on records fed through the machine, a control device actuated by the analysing device to control locking members associated with the driving means of a plurality of denominational elements of a registering mechanism to impart a movement to the groups of elements in dependence upon the time interval between the actuation of the analysing device and the operation of the locking members. In the machine described the records pass successively through two light sensitive analysing devices, one of which senses identification marks and co-operates with a sorting device to select records with a common identification mark, and the other of which cooperates with the selected records and a tabulating device to control the operation of registering mechanism in conformity with the selected records. The first analysing device may be arranged to prevent tabulation of data from selected cards if such cards are inaccurately fed into the machine or are incorrectly marked. Record cards.-The records may be sale slips, time cards, checks or tickets. In the case of tickets, such as are handed to customers in restaurants and tea shops, each waitress is given a booklet of tickets 1 as shown in Fig. 1, with the name, the number and address of the shop, and with the individual number of the waitress in characters and code form. The code number is marked in the area A and a number of index areas B are provided for the half-penny, pence and shillings amount of the bill as totalled by the waitress in area C, and a further area B for the number of customers. Pencil marks are made in the appropriate index areas to vary the transparency.. The area for one customer is preprinted black on all tickets. Feeding mechanism.-The tickets 1, Figs. 2 and 3, pertaining to each waitress are made up into lots, separated by a distinctive card or metal plate and placed in containers 8, 81 on a platform 9 rotatably mounted on a shaft 10 which can be lowered and turned to place a full container in position when the first one is empty. A weight 14 attached to the shaft 10 tends to shift the platform upwardly so as to press the top ticket against rollers 18 on fingers 19. A picker, having a free wheel rubber roller 44. is reciprocated by a linkage 39, 34, 31, co-operating with a cam 29 on the main cam shaft 26, to feed the uppermost ticket to a pair of feed rollers 45, 46. These rollers advance the ticket to an adjusting station where it is exactly located longitudinally by stop fingers 91 and sideways by a jogger 97 slidable on a cross bar 98. The feed rollers are driven by a sprocket from the cam shaft 26 and cams 96, 100 operate the stop fingers and jogger The feed rollers are operatively connected to other feed rollers 60, 66 and 61, 78, the roller 66 being mounted on a frame 68 so as to be lifted momentarily by a cam 74 when the ticket is being located. After passing the last pair of rollers the tickets are conducted by a flap 86 into a receptacle 89 for correct tickets or into a receptacle 90 for unselected tickets. The feed mechanism may be operated manually by a hand lever 103, Figs. 4 and 8, which is adapted to couple a shaft 105 to the cam shaft 26. Normally the machine is driven by a motor 112, Fig. 3, which drives a clutch shaft 116 carrying clutch elements 120, Fig. 4, operatively connected to a clutch lever 129, Figs. 2 and 8. A gear 133 rotatably mounted on the shaft 116 meshes with a gear on the shaft 105 to drive the cam shaft 26. If the run of tickets is interrupted the machine is stopped automatically by means of a slide 138 coacting with a cam 140 on the shaft 26 which is raised into the path of travel of the tickets and withdraws a projection 137 on the slide 138 from a roller 135 on the clutch fork permitting it to move the clutch 120 to inoperative position. This cut-out arrangement will operate when the picker movement is arrested and when a separating card or plate comes uppermost. Selective control device.-A ticket, after passing the second pair of feed rollers, reaches a control device comprising a lamp 146, a casing with lenses 149 to concentrate the beam of light on to an aperture in a frame 150, and a lightsensitive cell 152 connected to an amplifier device 157. The control device co-operates with the distinctive marks 158 in the area A of the tickets. Before the machine is started the number of the waitress of the uppermost batch of tickets is set up by the manipulation of knobs 159, 160 for the units and tens to position sets of cam discs 170, 173 with projections arranged in accordance with a code whereby rocker arms 175 set corresponding slides 179 to uncover the aperture in the frame 150. In the X position no selective operation takes place. When the number on a ticket agrees with the set up numbers the cell 152, through the amplifying device, energizes an electromagnet 180. This magnet is oppositely disposed to a permanently energized magnet 182 and the cores of these magnets are linked to a lever 185 the arrangement being such that no movement is imparted to the lever 185 on agreement. The lever 185 co-operates with a latch 187 pivoted on the shaft of the sorting flap 86. Normally the lever 185 is maintained by an internal cam 195 on the clutch shaft 116 and the latch 187 by an arm 191 and cam 193 on the roller 61 When the area A of the ticket reaches the control station the cams render the lever 185 and latch 187 free for operation. On disagreement, when the control cell 152 is not fully illuminated, the lever 185 rocks to free the latch permitting the sorting flap 86 to rise. Analysing and tabulating device.-Adjacent the control station is an analysing station including a lamp 197 and a light-sensitive cell 200 similar to that described above and co-operating with the index areas B. The cell 200, through the amplifier and leads 204, controls an electromagent 205, Fig. 8, with four armatures 207, 208, 209 and 210 bearing on cams 214 on a shaft 215 driven by the feeding roller 46 of the first pair. The armatures 207 ... 210 are reserved for the halfpence, pence, shillings and number of customers respectively and are freed in succession by the cams only when a blacked out section in the area intercepts the lights from the cell. To ensure that the armatures will be freed only when correct cards are fed they are provided with a locking finger 211 to co-operate with a bail 222 operatively connected to the sorting flap 86. The armatures are extended to form pawls or carry triggers that co-operate with ratchet wheels frictionally mounted on a sleeve 228, Fig. 9, secured to a shaft 229 driven by the shaft 215. The armature 207 has a double pawl 242 which acts as an escapement on the lowest ratchet wheel 227 on the sleeve and steps on the associated gear 235 and the gear 236 of the amounts register. The armatures 208, 209, each have a trigger 243 which is controlled, by the corresponding cam 214, for a one to eleven step movement of the pence gear 236 and a one to three step movement of the shillings gear. The fourth armature 210, Fig. 11, is associated with a cam 214 permitting a four step movement and is fixed to a sleeve 246 carrying a single pawl 247 co-operating with a ratchet wheel 227 to drive a " number of customers register. A double pawl 248 secured to the sleeve 246 serves to control the step movement of a ratchet wheel 227 for a "number of tickets register. Transfer mechanism.-The gear 236, Figs. 8 and 9, for the half-penny denomination is formed integral with two five-toothed pinions 255, 2551 that co-operate with a carry pawl 256 and the trigger 243 of the pence denomination armature 208 to release the pence wheel for unit movement. A similar arrangement with single toothed pinions 254, 2541 is provided between the pence and shillings denominations. The ratchet wheels 227 associated with the higher denominations are controlled by double pawls 249, Fig. 11, cooperating with single toothed pinions 254 of the next lower denomination. Totalling mechanism.-After a batch of tickets has been analysed the blank card or plate separating the batches is effective to stop the feeding mechanism and the registers can be cleared and the amount transmitted to a printing mechanism and a grand total register. For this purpose a print lever 269, Figs. 2 and 8, is operated to couple up a one-revolution clutch disc 259, Fig. 4, to a disc 257 fast on the clutch shaft 116 and through a sprocket drive to operate a shaft 279, Figs. 8 and 12. The shaft 279 carries a pair of cams 280 that co-operate with a roller on a bail 282 supporting the shaft 237 so as to raise the shaft and mesh the gears 286 integral with the gears 236 with idler gears 287, 288 on a stationary shaft 289. After engagement a segment 295 on the shaft 279 drives a gear 294 on the shaft 237 through one revolution and displaces a zeroizing comb 296, Fig. 9, into alignment with zero studs on the gears 236 whereby the latter are restored to zero. The idler gears 288 mesh with gears on numeral wheel 300, Figs. 8 and 10, of grand total registers for the amounts, tickets and customers. A conventional form of transfer mechanism is provided comprising single toothed pinions 310, rockers 311 with cam faces, and cooperating swing levers 316 spirally arranged and pivotally mounted on plates 318 on a shaft 320 adapted to be driven by a gear segment 325 on the shaft 279. Cams 326 on the plates 318 serve to restore the rockers 311. To reset the grand total registers a displaceable zeorizing comb is provided and adapted to be operated by an insertable key.